FISP increased

By Staff Reporter 

Government has increased the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for the 2015-2016 Agricultural season from the current 598, 723 to 761, 295 beneficiary farmers. 

Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda says this entails that in addition to the 214, 000 farmers that are under the e- voucher system for newly introduced crops, the total targeted beneficiary farmers under FISP has equally increased from the 1, 000, 000 targeted in the 2014-2015 season to 1, 162, 572 in the 2015-2016 Agricultural season. 

Mr. Lubinda adds that government has arranged all the necessary logistics to cater for the additional 32,514.4 metric tons of fertilizer and 1, 625.72 metric tons of maize seed, required as a result of increasing the number of FISP beneficiaries.

In a ministerial statement to parliament, the Minister also said that government has directed the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) to produce 44, 000 metric tons of Compound D fertilizer for the open commercial market. 

Mr. Lubinda says the NCZ open commercial market fertilizer which will be made available to agro dealers across the Country, will be priced at not more than K320 per 50Kg bag. 

The Minister has since warned that any agro dealer, who will increase the price of this fertilizer beyond the stated K320 per 50Kg bag, will be penalized by not being sold any further stock by NCZ.